GM Trent Baalke discusses 49ers’ patient approach

General manager Trent Baalke met with the media near the end of practice today.

He declined to discuss reports that free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress will visit the 49ers later today and was largely tight-lipped on the subject of Frank Gore’s holdout — although he did say it didn’t surprise him.

Here are some select quotes — I’ve got to get to some newspaper stories:

On frustration of 49ers’ fans to the team’s patient approach to free agency:

“It’s tough for the fans to look at it and they hear us saying we’re going to take a patient approach when we’ve had as many seasons as we’ve had and not made the playoffs. That’s totally understandable. But we are going to be patient. We have been patient. We’re executing the plan. And I guess the only thing that’s going to tell is the test of time. And how successful this plan is will be measured by how successful we become on the field.”

On there being a lull after initial free-agent frenzy and prices eventually going down:

“I think that’s been proven over time that that’s the case. Now I’m not going to sit here and say that every player who signed early is overpaid, but you do pay a premium in free agency.

“Our plan wasn’t to be aggressive early in free agency … If you look at what’s happening across the league, and you look at the teams — the 32 teams — there’s a lot of teams that are doing it the exact same we are. And a bunch of those teams have been very successful doing it that way. So who’s to say what’s right or wrong? I’m not going to sit here and justify what we’re doing.”

More on the plan:

“We went into this year with some needs to be addressed, and we still feel confident we can address them, but maybe not at rate some people would have hoped we’d have done so.”

On center David Baas signing with the Giants:

“Is it something we wanted to have taken place? No. But it was something we were prepared for.”

On free agents possibly looking elsewhere because the 49ers are unsettled — new coach etc.

“When players are looking at the options on where to go, they’re looking for — a lot of times — situations that bring them into a winning place. And that’s what we need to establish. We need to get back to where we were.”